The Old Ways: A Hedge Witch's Guide to Living a Magical Life

(Paperback)

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Description

Embrace the old ways with the new as you develop your own vibrant hedge witchcraft tradition.

Leading you beyond The Path of the Hedge Witch, Joanna van der Hoeven deepens your skills in herbalism, spellcraft, hedge riding (trance work), and more so you can truly live your Craft. Following Joanna's guidance, you will develop a daily practice that involves connection to deity, the Fair Folk, and your familiar.

Explore a thirteen-month lunar ritual series and create your own divination set based on your local surroundings. With this book, you can expand your solitary practice and find your place in the world.

"A volume to refer to at every Moon, at each turning of the wheel, and whenever the Otherworld needs to be consulted."
Ellen Evert Hopman, author of The Real Witches of New England

Reviews

"One of the pitfalls of reading books on magic, spirituality, or witchcraft is the whitewashing or general Christian-ification of ancient practices. This book does a beautiful job of guiding readers through a high-level background of the history of the craft, specifically in the UK/Ireland region. Whenever traditions from additional regions are mentioned, it's done so in a respectful and reverent manner. In a world where there are arguably toomany subjective how to guidebooks on witchcraft, this one stands out, offering a historical-based guide on how to perform foundational rituals. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning not just how to apply magic to their everyday life, but where those practices originated from in the first place."
Kathryn Brostowitz, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI

"Partly a memoir and partly a handbook for practitioners, it is a volume to refer to at every moon, at each turning of the wheel, and whenever the Otherworld needs to be consulted."
Ellen Evert Hopman, author of The Real Witches of New England and Once Around the Sun

"If you loved Joanna's book, The Path of the Hedge Witch, I guarantee you are going to find new depths of appreciation for The Old Ways. It is full of wonderful ways to dive deeper into your craft, be it a solo path or a group path. There is something for everyone in this book!"
Eron Mazza, podcast host and author

"Throughout the whole book, the three foundations of Hedge Witchcraft are wovena willingness to walk between worlds, ability to work alone and a love of nature, enabling anyone, from novice to experienced practitioner to gain new understanding. Joanna uses her own examples as an illustration to each of these topics with a beautiful clarity...This is a fantastic instructional guide to taking your Hedge Witchcraft further into profound and more nuanced level. It is a spellbinding read!"
Thea Prothero, author of A Guide to Pilgrimage

"A truly invaluable resource for anyone interested in Hedge Witchcraft. The author adeptly weaves together information from the past while also helping the reader with skills and exercises that they can use in the present in order to continue on their path."
Robin Corak, author of Dream Magick and Persephone

"This is a concise and straightforward guide to what a Hedge Witch is and how to be one. For those who are not sure of their path, this has many commonalities with Traditional Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-Druidry, but it is a distinct path of itself, laid out with clarity here....This book will teach you and help you to create your own practices over time."
Luke Eastwood, author of The Druid Garden and A Path Through The Forest

"An absolute treasure. Joanna dives well below the surface to bring us fresh explorations of core aspects of a witch's practice: working with different types of energy, the ethics of magic, the importance of self-discovery and self-awareness, and how we integrate our practice into daily life...Best of all, she generously shares her personal experiences with the topics discussed in each chapter, in lyrical prose that places the reader right there with her in her beloved landscapes. The book is rich with practical suggestions, exercises, spells and herbal recipes, beautiful sabbat rituals, and invigorating lunar rituals."
Lisa Chamberlain, author of Herbs of the Year Spellbook and Self-Care for Witches

"The Old Ways is a rich and enjoyable read filled with wisdom grounded in useful tools and practices for weaving into everyday life. Joanna van der Hoevenexplains clearlywhat a magical lifeis allabout, always encouraging the reader to widen their perspective and deepen their connection with the Otherworld and themselves....I loved this book!"
Sheena Cundy, author ofThe Witch WavelengthandRiches For Witches

"The Olds Ways is an important contribution to the growing field of witchcraft and paganism....In a beautiful interweaving of explanation, exercise, and example, the injections of Joannas own personal experiences help to anchor and clarify the books material....A powerful invitation to access the wisdom of the whole self and deepen ones connection to Nature."
Tiffany Lazic, author of The Great Work

Author Bio

Joanna van der Hoeven has been working in Pagan traditions for over thirty years. She is an author, teacher, dancer, blogger, photographer, and videographer. Her love of nature and the land where she lives provide her with constant inspiration. She was born in Quebec, Canada, and now lives near the sea in Suffolk, England.

You can find her online on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Rae Beth is a Pagan, environmentalist, and spellcaster who is passionate about the landscapes of Britain. Visit her atKnibbWorld.com/Rae/Biog.html.